These keto Baklava Cookies capture the flavors of baklava in a tiny bite. With walnuts, pistachios, cinnamon, and a sugar-free glaze scented with lemon zest they will be the perfect substitute to the traditional sugar-laden pastry. This delicious pastry recipe is low carb, keto, gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free, and Trim Healthy Mama friendly.
My maternal grandfather was Greek and I grew up celebrating Greek Easter and eating baklava and stuffed grape leaves. I have many happy memories of going to my Great Aunt Alice’s house. The smell of roast lamb and potatoes would engulf me as I walked through the door. She lived in a town on the ocean, only a couple blocks from the beach, so that smell combined with the saltwater smell was irresistible.
It’s been many years since she passed on and my grandparents too. It’s been too long since we celebrated Greek Easter. My cousin decided to revive that tradition this year and I was more than happy to join in.
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I volunteered for baklava duty since I have made it many times over the years and I had phyllo in the freezer already. The other reason was that I knew I could make myself an alternative at the same time. Many of the ingredients are the same but my version is based on my Pecan Tassies.
Is Baklava Keto?
Typical recipes for traditional baklava are not keto. That’s why I was bound and determined to make my own version of these baklava cookies that I could happily enjoy when eating low carb. Thankfully, they turned out amazing, and that’s why I wanted to share them with you.
Almond flour and coconut flour replace the traditional flour that’s normally in baklava. If you eat low carb, you are going to be thankful to welcome these amazing cookies into your kitchen. Actually, even if you don’t eat low carb, they are pretty darn addictive!
A note on honey: Traditional baklava uses honey to sweeten it. I really wanted these to have a hint of honey flavor. I looked online for sugar-free honey, honey extract, honey oil, etc. but could not find a decent substitute. I ultimately decided to use a small amount of raw, organic honey in this recipe. Each cookie gets ⅛ teaspoon of honey. This equals less than 1 gram of carbs in each cookie from the honey. It is optional. They are sweet enough without it.
How to Make Baklava Cookies
First Step: Preheat oven to 350. Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray.
Second Step: Mix the dough ingredients in a medium bowl with a wooden spoon. If the butter and cream cheese is room temperature they mix easily.
Third Step: Divide into 24 pieces and press into the holes of a mini muffin tin. Use a tart tamper, an upside-down measuring teaspoon, or your fingers.
Fourth Step: Combine the nuts and cinnamon. Divide between the prepared mini muffin tin.
Fifth Step: Bake for 20-22 minutes until the dough is golden. Cool to room temperature.
Sixth Step: While the cookies are baking, make the syrup. Combine the sweetener, water, lemon zest, and cinnamon stick in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low until it simmers. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Final Step: Drizzle the syrup over the cookie cups. If using the honey spoon ⅛ of a teaspoon over each. Remove from the muffin tin and enjoy!
Tips For Making Homemade Baklava Cookies:
When it comes to making this easy keto baklava recipe, there isn’t a lot you need to worry about. It’s an incredibly easy recipe to make, tastes awesome, and doesn’t need lots of effort or fancy tools. I wanted to point out just a couple of tips to help you out along the way.
- Use butter and cream cheese that is room temperature. It’s incredible how much effort you can save by following this one little step. If you are ina hurry and don’t have time to set it to be room temperature, you can always toss them in the microwave for a few seconds. Don’t let them melt, or they will be too hot. When using room temperature butter and cream cheese, you will find that it’ mixes in so easily.
- There is no need to overmix the batter. No one wants cookies that are dry or dense, and when you stir the dough too much, you risk this happening. Just stir until the ingredients are incorporated, and you will be good to go.
- Keep an eye on the cookies, so you don’t overbake them. If you do, they will become harder and not as good. Usually, 20-22 minutes is perfect. Every oven is different, so you may need to test your oven temperature to make sure it’s accurate. If not, make adjustments to ensure you are baking them at 350 degrees.
- A mini muffin pan gives you the perfect size of cookies. This will result in you have 24 keto baklava cookies per batch. So they are ideal for cookie exchanges or whenever you are looking for something special for a crowd. You can use a full-sized muffin tin, but you will need to adjust the baking time.
What Nuts Are Best In These Keto Baklava Cookies?
I always use a combination of walnuts and pistachios when I make these keto baklava cookies. The flavor of the two is fantastic, and I love the texture and color it gives the baklava cookies. You could also use pecans if you wanted. While I use ½ cup of walnuts and ¼ pistachios, you could easily adjust that to your liking. As long as you don’t go over ¾ cup per batch, it doesn’t matter which nuts you go with.
What’s The Best Way To Store Baklava?
Thankfully, this keto baklava is very versatile! You can store it in the refrigerator or on the counter. The baklava cookies last for 2-3 days on the counter or 5-7 days in the fridge. It’s important to keep them in an airtight container and away from moisture. Typically, any food storage container with a tight-fitting lid or even a sealed food storage bag will work.
If you want the low carb baklava cookies to last even longer, then put them in the freezer! They will last for several months and can be enjoyed anytime you get a craving for them. Once again, you will need to keep them airtight to prevent them from going bad. It’s a good idea to keep them out of the door of the freezer, so they don’t defrost a little each time the door opens.
To defrost the cookies, simply place them in the fridge overnight or set them on the counter for a few hours until they seem thawed. Then dig in and munch on them until they are gone.
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📖 Recipe
Ingredients
Pastry Dough:
- 3 oz cream cheese softened
- 4 oz butter softened
- ⅓ cup almond flour
- ⅓ cup coconut flour
- ⅓ cup ground golden flax (or additional almond flour)
- 1 egg yolk
Nut Filling:
- ¾ cup chopped nuts I used ½ cup walnuts and ¼ cup pistachios
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Syrup:
- ½ cup Joy Filled Eats Sweetener (or see alternatives in recipe notes)
- 1 tablespoon water
- 3 one inch pieces of lemon zest
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 teaspoon honey optional, see note below
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Spray a mini muffin tin very well with cooking spray or use aluminum liners.
- Mix the dough ingredients in a medium bowl with a wooden spoon. If the butter and cream cheese are room temperature they mix easily. Divide into 24 pieces and press into the holes of a mini muffin tin. Use a tart tamper, an upside-down measuring teaspoon, or your fingers.
- Combine the nuts and cinnamon. Divide between the prepared mini muffin tin. Bake for 20-22 minutes until the dough is golden. Cool to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, make the syrup. Combine the sweetener, water, lemon zest, and cinnamon stick in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low until it simmers. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
- Drizzle the syrup over the cookie cups. If using the honey spoon ⅛ of a teaspoon over each. Remove from the muffin tin and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Originally Published May 2, 2016. Revised and Republished June 24, 2020.
Cassandra says
Any chance cup for cup flour would work in this recipe?
Taryn says
I'm not sure, sorry. You could just sub in the cookie part of a regular flour recipe.
Margaret says
Now that both ChocZero and Wholesome Yum ;among other brands) are selling keto “honey,” how would you suggest modifying the syrup ingredients to take advantage of these new ingredient options and get more of the traditional honey flavor?
Thanks in advance for your thoughts on this! I adore baklava and haven’t been able to enjoy it again for many years, since I embraced a sugar-free, low carb lifestyle. Thrilled to have found your recipe!
Taryn says
You can use one of those. I would still probably make the syrup as written but drizzle some keto honey on top of the cookies.
Gayle says
Just made these and turned out delicious.
Amber says
Can't wait to try this! Only issue is as you know there is a current cream cheese shortage crisis. Unable to find.. Would sour cream be a reasonable substitute?
Taryn says
I think sour cream would work but I haven't tested it. I would try less than 3 oz to start. Maybe 3 tbsp. If the dough seems dry you can add more.
Rebekah G says
I had a feeling that the amount of butter... 4oz wasn't correct. I thought, "does she mean 4 tbsp?" But I followed the recipe on the first try, like always. If I knew how to post a picture, it would show big puddle on my pan, instead of pastry shells. A total waste of expensive ingredients.
Taryn says
The ingredients are correct. I use the same dough in my pecan tassies which has more detailed photos. Please take a look here: https://joyfilledeats.com/pecan-tassies/
This does use 4 oz/8 tbsp/1 stick. Did you make any substitutes? How is there a "big puddle" when you use a mini muffin tin? Feel free to email me a photo so I can try to help. Taryn at joyfilledeats dot com
Nicole says
Fantastiskt, tusen tack!!!!!!